The socio-economic landscape of Stoke-on-Trent makes it one of the poorer areas of the UK.
Stoke, known for being the land of ‘pits and pots’ was once a powerhouse of industrial activity, up until mechanisation, foreign labour export and the Clean Air Act of 1956 combined to strip away the majority of the large-scale pottery industry from the area. The second body blow to the region has been the loss of mining which was wiped out in the 70s and 80s.
With the majority of the area’s labour force being let go from these industries, Stoke has had to find ways to diversify. We are now building up a reputation for large-scale service industries, especially call centres, rather than production. However, there is optimism around the city and renewed interest in Stoke as the home of artisan pottery production, while some industrial production is retained and continues to be sent out across the globe. That said, there is a high disparity still in the level of skilled and higher paid jobs in the area compared to other parts of the country.
One legacy that still remains from the industrial ages is high levels of ill health resulting from physically demanding and sometimes dangerous working conditions.
Despite these uniquely local challenges, in 2016 Stoke bucked the national trend which saw a 6% rise in emergency food vouchers issues from foodbank across Britain, by LOWERING the demand by 6%. See our RESULTS page for more detail.
Stoke, then, is an area that can and has benefitted from help with financial management to its poorest members. Yet the challenge is set to increase as an estimated 19,110 households across the city (17.1% ) are expected to be negatively impacted by welfare reforms by more than £30 per week up to 2020. *
Below are some workforce statistics for the area which reveal some of the challenges faced by many of our clients. For more, visit the nomis website